Creating Memories Through Sense Of Smell For Dementia 560278

Creating Memories Through Sense Of Smell For Dementiaaminata Sillahem

Creating Memories through Sense of Smell for Dementia Aminata Sillah [email protected] March 4, 2021 Introduction Memories are sparked by everything we smell. Memories are created from our childhood, teenage years and adulthood. Researchers are figuring out that “sniffing out,†close relations between losing the sense of smell and the parallel of memory loss related with dementia (Intriago, 2016). Sense of smell is recognized as olfactory sense. Olfactory memory is the remembrance of smells.

Olfactory memory is a simple operation of the brain; however, its role is complex in both conscious and subconscious memory (Intriago, 2016). The other senses pass through a different brain region before being operated. Sense of smell, olfactory cortex is looped right to the amygdala and hippocampus – major key to the limbic system (Intriago, 2016). The things we smelled throughout the years stays with us. Those smells become part of our emotional memories and can recover through the form of emotional acknowledgments.

Certain scents bring back long-term memories through emotional response which will be a great treatment impact on dementia including Alzheimer's disease. According to El Haj and Giachet (2016), autobiographical memory is known to contain all personal memories that is comparable to whom we are, were discovered to be damaged in Alzheimer’s disease. Autobiographical memory is known for being the key part of our memory system which allows repairs and maintenance of self-awareness, self-image, and personal knowledge and able to retreat past events from our lives (El Haj and Giachet, 2016). People with Alzheimer’s disease autobiographical memory are declined and it is difficult for them to relive past events of their lives.

Studies tried to reduce the damage of autobiographical memory by centering sensory signals. Studies also shown that music and odor are powerful benefactors of involuntary recovery by shrinking the time it will take to recover the memories. Involuntary autobiographical memories are conscious memories of events of one's life and those memories comes to the mind suddenly. Olfactory signals are connected memory and emotions which are amygdala and hippocampus. Neuroimaging studies shows that odor-evoked memories are distinguish by the brain areas activation that are associated with memory recovery and the cortex process of olfactory and recruit the brain regions that were operated during visual imagery and emotions (El Haj and Giachet, 2016).

El Haj, Gandolphe, Gallouj, Kapogiannis and Antoine (2017) presented a case study of 28 participants that were in the mild stage of Alzheimer’s disease and 30 healthy participants that were the controls. The Alzheimer’s disease participants were enrolled from retirement homes and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease dementia by a neurologist/geriatrician based on the clinical criteria from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association. The control participants were independent, lived own their own in their homes and lived with a spouse or relative of Alzheimer’s disease participants. Each participant was tested separately in three sessions: after odor exposure, after music exposure and in a control condition. They were given three minutes to describe their memories and they were informed of this time limit in order for them to structure their memories accordingly and avoiding bias from distractions. Small bottle of essential oils was opened and participants had to smell the scents with their eyes closed and were asked to explain the memory that popped in their mind. Two pieces of music was played for the participants and they had to recall a memory. However, control participants, were told in silence with odor free air. The outcome of memories being recovered after odor and music exposure in Alzheimer’s disease participants had a higher precision, emotional experience, mental time travel and shorter comeback time than the control condition.

Researchers inquired whether the exposure would improve difficulties that recover memories in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Twenty-six patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 28 healthy control patients were tested to recover childhood, adulthood and current memories without odor and after odor exposure (El Haj, Gallouj, Glachet, and Moustafa, 2019). The outcome of this study showed Alzheimer’s disease patients had a higher number and more certain childhood, adulthood and current memories after odor exposure than without odor. The olfactory bulb is the first area that is affected in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The sense of smell is weaker in early stages of people with these diseases.

Correlating with different activities with different scents help reduce confusion for dementia people with what is going on. The scents can be essential oils, toast, coffee in the mornings or loved one’s favorite perfume or aftershave (Bowles, 2007). Same aroma every night before bed for someone with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is helpful due to helping them settle for bed. Rosemary, peppermint, lemon scents are not a good smell to help someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Essential oils are part of aromatherapy which is good for people with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease.

There are multiple essential oils that are effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia symptoms through smelling and rubbing into skin. Lavender smells are calming and balance strong emotions. Lemon balm are very effective and beneficial to people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Lemon balm are very effective and beneficial to people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Peppermint stimulates the mind and calm nerves and corrects absent-mind. Rosemary oils improves cognitive performance, stimulates mind and body (Best-alzheimers-products.com, 2010). Essential oils trigger certain memories for dementia including Alzheimer's disease. The purpose of my proposal is to further investigate the extent to which scent memory can be used as a means to assist memory recall in persons with dementia. If memories can be sparked by scents, then persons with dementia including Alzheimer's disease may be triggered to recall certain memories when undergoing scent training.

Paper For Above instruction

The role of sensory stimuli, particularly olfactory cues, in evoking autobiographical memories in individuals with dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease, has garnered increasing research interest over recent decades. The profound connection between our sense of smell and memory retention is rooted in the neuroanatomy of the olfactory system, which is directly linked to limbic structures such as the amygdala and hippocampus—regions critically involved in emotion and memory processing. This close neuroanatomical relationship suggests that olfactory cues may serve as potent triggers for memory recall, even in individuals experiencing neurodegenerative decline.

Research has established that olfactory memory is particularly resilient in the face of neurodegeneration. Unlike other sensory modalities, the olfactory system bypasses the thalamus and has direct neural pathways to limbic regions, making odors uniquely capable of eliciting vivid autobiographical memories (Intriago, 2016). This phenomenon is often referred to as the "Proustian effect," illustrating how certain scents can evoke detailed, emotionally charged memories from one’s past (El Haj & Giachet, 2016). For elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, this sensory-related memory retrieval may offer a non-invasive method to stimulate preservation of autobiographical memories, potentially improving quality of life and self-awareness.

Empirical studies have supported the efficacy of olfactory stimulation in facilitating memory recall. For example, El Haj et al. (2017) conducted a study involving participants in the mild stages of Alzheimer’s disease, exposing them to various odors and assessing subsequent autobiographical memory retrieval. Their findings demonstrated that odor exposure resulted in significantly higher recall accuracy, emotional intensity, and shorter reactivation times compared to control conditions. Similarly, another study by El Haj et al. (2019) indicated that odors could enhance both recent and remote memories, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of smell-based interventions.

Neuroimaging evidence further supports these findings, showing that odor-evoked memories activate specific brain regions associated with memory and emotion, comparable to visual and auditory stimuli (Glanchet et al., 2019). This activation underscores the potential for scented cues to bypass impaired cognitive pathways and directly stimulate preserved memory traces. This is particularly important because Alzheimer’s pathology begins with early degeneration of the olfactory bulb, making smell-based therapies especially relevant during initial stages of the disease (Wang et al., 2019). In this context, harnessing olfactory cues not only may aid in memory retrieval but also in stabilizing emotional well-being for patients with dementia.

Practical applications of this research involve integrating scent-based interventions into daily routines. For instance, consistent exposure to particular scents associated with positive memories—such as loved one’s perfume, familiar foods, or essential oils—could help reduce confusion and agitation. Aromatherapy with oils like lavender, lemon balm, peppermint, and rosemary has been shown to influence mood and cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s patients (Best-alzheimers-products.com, 2010). Notably, lavender provides calming effects, reducing anxiety, while peppermint stimulates alertness and mental clarity. Conversely, scents such as lemon and rosemary may sometimes provoke discomfort or confusion; thus, selective use based on individual preferences is advisable.

Further research should aim to establish standardized scent training protocols and evaluate their longitudinal effects on memory preservation and psychological well-being. Additionally, exploring personalized scent profiles tailored to individual histories could maximize therapeutic outcomes. For example, pairing specific odors with personalized life events or familial associations might strengthen memory cues and emotional connections. Such approaches should be complemented with neuroimaging studies to elucidate mechanisms and further validate efficacy.

In conclusion, olfactory cues represent a promising avenue for dementia intervention strategies—leveraging the neural pathways that remain relatively unaffected in early neurodegeneration. Through continued investigation into scent-based memory stimulation, clinicians may enhance non-pharmacological treatment options, aiming to elevate quality of life and preserve autobiographical identity among individuals facing dementia. Integrating scent training into comprehensive care programs offers a natural, accessible, and emotionally resonant approach grounded in the neurobiological foundations of memory and emotion.

References

• Best-alzheimers-products.com. (2010). Essential oils for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Retrieved from http://best-alzheimers-products.com
• El Haj, M., & Giachet, G. (2016). Odor-evoked autobiographical memories in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Sciences, 6(2), 28.
• El Haj, M., Gandolphe, M. C., Gallouj, K., Kapogiannis, D., & Antoine, P. (2017). From nose to memory: The involuntary nature of odor-evoked autobiographical memories in Alzheimer’s disease. Chem Senses, 43(1), 27–34.
• El Haj, M., Gallouj, K., Glachet, O., & Moustafa, A. (2019). Smell your memories: Positive effect of odor exposure on recent and remote autobiographical memories in Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 41(6), 555–564.
• Glanchet, O., El Haj, M., et al. (2019). Emotional and phenomenological properties of odor-evoked autobiographical memories in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain Sciences, 9(6), 135.
• Intriago, J. (2016). The connection between smells and memory. SeniorsMatter.com.
• Wang, T., Xu, S.-F., Fan, Y.-G., Li, L.-B., & Guo, C. (2019). Iron Pathophysiology in Alzheimer’s Diseases. In Springer Science and Business Media LLC.